The Sun, the Moon, and the White Lotus
by Mimic Teruyo
Summary: A thousand years ago, a Hakurei shrine maiden hell-bent on vengeance encountered a strange youkai in the woods, a former nun dreaming of peace between humans and youkai. Forming an alliance of convenience, neither could have anticipated what would follow...
1. The Shrine at the Edge of the World

_Disclaimer: All named characters are canon characters._

 _Special thanks to Shadow1176 for beta reading this._

* * *

There is a legend, long dead among humans but still told by youkai, of a place where worlds collided. In a remote part of Japan, if one knew where to go, was an easy access to dream worlds, Makai, and even Hell. As a result, the area burgeoned with monsters and creatures of all kinds, often clashing with the few humans clinging to the same lands.

The only one keeping humans from extinction was their champion, a priestess with mysterious powers living in an old shrine. She fought the youkai brutally, and guarded the entrances to other worlds.

Youkai called the place the Well of Spirits, a paradise and nightmare land wrapped up in one.

If you tell this legend to a resident of Gensokyo, they will scoff at you. What, are you trying to trick them? The old shrine is the Hakurei shrine, the shrine maiden stomping on youkai's faces is the Hakurei shrine maiden, and the Well of Spirits is clearly just another name for Gensokyo. Are you trying to be clever? Go fetch them a fresh drink and next time, tell them a proper story.

Only, they would be as wrong as they were right.

The Well of Spirits was not Gensokyo as we know it. The story goes further back in time, before the land ever adopted the name of Gensokyo...

* * *

The harsh winds of late winter swept across the barren lands, over the dead fields and the few people out on such a freezing day. Despite the wind, two peasants, a man and a boy, kept walking down a narrow path, wrapped in ther warmest clothes.

The man, leading the boy, paused, and looked at the hill ahead of them. Already, the stone steps leading upwards and the red gate above them were clearly visible, even if the buildings on top of the hill were not.

He turned his head. "Mind your bearing," he snapped. "You can't stare at everything with your mouth hanging open like that once we reach the shrine."

The boy, a gangly young man with more than his share of nose bowed his head. How was he supposed to stop being impressed by all this? He could never have guessed such a place existed merely a day's walk from the house where he had been born.

In recent years, youkai attacks in the area had become even more frequent, but nothing had shocked the boy more than when at the end of a torturous winter, his father had announced that they would move to Reishoumiya. All the boy had known of the place before were rumours and murmurs of the village being a nest of youkai, but his father had assured him that the number of youkai meant nothing when there'd be someone watching over the people. The Hakurei Clan would surely keep them safe, he had said. The boy had been uncertain, first, but the steel and determination in his father's eyes had mad him agree.

"We are going to meet the leader of the clan. You had better not embarrass me in front of her."

The boy wrinkled his nose. "A village run by a woman?"

His father clicked his tongue. "Less of that lip, boy. Not just a village run by women, but by a goddess."

"A goddess?"

"We have lived here for half a moon, and you did not know that? Have you not paid any attention to the world around you since..."

The man fell silent with an embarrassed air. The boy looked away and said nothing. It had been a mistake, and he readily forgave his father for it. It was a wound in both of them, after all.

"Yes, a goddess. She's called Princess Ayame." The man cleared his throat. "Apparently, already as a child she possessed exceptional powers. Once, they brought a man mauled by youkai and at the brink of death to the shrine. He was beyond hope, so when their attempts to tend to him failed, they took him to an unused storage beyond the boundaries of the shrine to die to not corrupt the shrine's purity. Only, when the villagers came the next morning to retrieve their friend's corpse, they found him alive and well, with no sign of the fatal wounds. Stranger yet, the room had been filled with fresh irises and chrysanthemums, even though it was winter."  
The boy's heart stopped. Chrysanthemums had been his mother's favourite flowers.

"When they were still aghast," the man quickly continued as he saw the expression on his son's face, "the young Hakurei daughter, her hair turned to gold, stepped forward from sea the flowers, and smiled at them. They all immediately took to their knees, knowing they had witnessed the birth of a goddess." As the boy's shoulders grew less stiff, the man smiled. "That is why she is called Princess Ayame. A goddess whose miracles bring flowers in their wake."

The boy smiled weakly, more to himself than his father. It would be wonderful to visit the shrine of such a goddess, even though the odds of actually seeing her were slight. Still, the honour! A humble peasant like him petitioning a goddess! He followed his father up the steps with renewed vigour.

His legs began to shake on the final step, and he looked up with his heart pounding. The shrine was no palace, but still grand enough to impress her with its large square courtyard and elegantly decorated roof and porch.

There was only one person on the courtyard when they entered: a young woman dressed almost as plainly as the village girls, with a single white ribbon in her long, black hair. She was lazily sweeping the area by the porch with a broom. As she spotted the visitors, her muddy brown eyes narrowed into slits, and she discarded her broom and vanished inside the shrine without so much as a word.

"That was..." The boy's words petered into uncertainty.

"The elder sister of Princess Ayame, from what I've heard." The man cast a sharp eye at the boy. "Keep your head down."

The boy did as told, but his mind was reeling. Weren't the Hakurei a noble clan? A noblewoman sweeping, in what amounted to underwear, in plain sight? Did they not have servants? He had to admit he didn't know if this was truly unusual, as his only experience with nobles and important people was with stories of people in shining palaces and women whose faces no commoner would ever see, but he had to admit that his expectations had been dashed.

The door slid open, and the surly shrine maiden returned, this time with company: first, an ancient woman, so small and wizened the boy expected her to collapse at any given moment, and yet her eyes burned with life. She leaned into a cane decorated with etchings of vines and flowers, and soon made way to another shrine maiden.

The young man's jaw dropped.

Both he and his father immediately kneeled, but the boy couldn't resist catching a glimpse of who he knew had to be Princess Ayame.

She only wore four layers over her undergarments, each well made but relatively plain, but while her dress was plain and unadorned compared to her distant peers, her beauty was unmatched: perhaps only the rumoured Princess Kaguya could truly outshine her radiance. Her cascading golden curls marked her as truly alien, more goddess than human.

She opened her eyes, revealing a pair of irises as blue as the midday sky. The boy quickly bowed his head again.

"It is alright. There is no need for such formalities," Princess Ayame's voice, clear as bells, kindly beckoned them. "You two must be our new residens. It is a pleasure to meet you in person."

"Thank you, Princess Ayame," the older man muttered, raising his head ever so slightly from the ground.

The boy gasped, not believing what he was seeing. His father had told him thing were handled differently in Reishoumiya, but to first have a woman of noble birth tidying up the courtyard. and now the greet the mistress of the house, who was also a goddess, face to face? His knees quivered from the shock.

And what a goddess! The boy had never seen anyone like her. Her hair was like spun gold, flowing gently down her back with nothing to fetter it. Her eyes were like gentle flowers, her skin like silk. He saw a certain resemblance between the two Hakurei maidens, but it was also clear why one was the goddess of the shrine while the other swept the porch. His heart pounded so loudly he feared it would rip itelf right out of his chest to present itself as an humble offering to the goddess.

"Please, do stand up. We are but a small community, and we all stand equal here." The boy stood up, scarcely believing what he was hearing, and dared to steal another glimpse of the goddess' lovely countenance.

"Thank you for paying me a visit." Princess Ayame bowed shortly, and the boy thought he was going mad. What kind of an insanity was this land, where humble peasants could walk right into the dwellings of gods and aristocrats, and not only be admitted, but be bowed to by them? None of this could be real, but yet when the boy looked at Princess Ayame he knew his imagination could never present him with such an image of loveliness. How could such a village exist?

His father bowd again, though not as deeply as before. "Princess Ayame, we bring you a petition from the old couple living by the north border of your domain."

"Is something amiss?"

"They are in great peril, Princess Ayame," The father said smoothly. The boy looked at his father with new amazement. How quickly he adapted to these bizarre circumstances. "Youkai have begun to invade from the east, and the entire forest is teeming with them. The residents have not dared to exit their homes for fear of being eaten or worse. Only today, they sent the fastest runner they had to dispatch a warning to the rest of the village." He bowed deeply. "They beg for your assistance, Princess Ayame."

"And my assistance they small have." Princess Ayame turned and bowed at the old woman. "I will return as soon as possible, Grandmother."

The wizened face cracked into a toothless smile. "Of couse, my child."

"Good luck, Meizuki," the other shrine maiden suddenly interjected, hands on her hips.

As the boy frowned at the strange name the shrine maiden had used for the goddess, Princess Ayame nodded. "Thank you, sister."

Then, she turned towards the man and the boy. "Please, lead the way."

The boy dreaded his heart wouldn't last the entire way.

* * *

As soon as the delegation was beyond hearing distance, Awazuki sighed."I wish they stopped calling her that."

"And why is that?" her grandmother, the wizened old lady with the ornate cane asked.  
"It's not her real name, for starters. And I know Meizuki herself doesn't like it, she's just too polite to tell them no."

Grandmother gave her a piercing glare. "Has she told you that herself? She ought to be grateful for the honour of being bestowed such a lofty title, and she's never said a half a word against it in my presence."

"Of course she hates it. It's a really stupid name. And you know she doesn't want to be called a goddess."

"That I do," Grandmother nodded gravely. "She ought to consider the shrine's prestige more carefully the next time she denies her divinity. Fortunately, her claims are usually taken as nothing more than modesty."

"Bah." Awazuki kicked a stubborn block of ice clinging to the porch. "Does listening to people's complaints and exerminating youkai make you a goddess now?"

"Nothing good comes from jealousy, Awazuki."

"I'm not jealous!" Awazuki replied hotly. "I'm happy for her! Can't I say one word against her stupid nickname without it being called jealousy?"

"If you are not jealous, show it. Be grateful to your sister, and for everything she was done for you." Grandmother slowly hobbled back inside. "The courtyard still requires cleaning."

Awazuki picked up her broom, and, as soon as she was certain Grandmother was beyond hearing distance, blew a raspberry in her general direction. Then, with a sigh, she resumed her duties, occassionally pausing to glance at the valley below, wondering exactly where her sister was at that moment, and what she would be fighting against.

* * *

Reishoumiya, a tiny community nestled between a mountain and a large forest. Most of its inhabitants were peasants, working unflinchingly and uncomplainingly on the rice fields by the river, satisfied with their simple lives. Reishoumiya was all but isolated, with only a handful of visitors from nearby villages brave or foolish enough to risk facing youkai on the way. What little advances made it into the community were mostly religious, with its inhabitants alleging their shrine to be the first in the world, and their jizou statue to be one of the first ones ever to be brought to Japan.

All in all, Reishoumiya stood alone. The few merchants and visitors hardly ever brought news from further away, and what was told was swiftly forgotten. Beyond spiritual advances, the residents had very little interest in the rest of the world, and whoever was the de jure lord of their community, they didn't know. They had chosen their own leaders, and one family especially stood above the rest: that of Hakurei, with their wise decisions and unusual skill at fighting youkai.

Three generations ago the family, now a clan in the others' eyes, had taken control of the shrine, and had successfully ruled Reishoumiya ever since. Even the nearby villages respected the name of Hakurei, especially now that they had a living goddess guarding the village.

Her birthname was Meizuki, but all called her Princess Ayame, and lauded her every action. She was unanimously hailed as the new leader after her parents' deaths, and ruled with great skill: she was diplomatic, settled disputes with wisdom, and most importantly, defeated any youkai foolish enough to threaten humans on their turf.

She was gracious. She was of divine descent. She was undefeateable...

* * *

"Meizuki! Meizuki!"

Awazuki ran towards the solemn procession approaching, desperately hoping the night betrayed her eyes.

Her gut twisted. There was no mistake. The villagers were indeed carrying her sister, her clothes drenched in blood.

"What happened? Where did you find her?" she half gasped, half snarled at the villagers.

"By the forest to the east, crawling back towards here," said one of the villagers, her face nearly as pale and stricken as Meizuki's. Her eyes here affixed in horror on the countenance of her living goddess and her dying form. "What could possibly have done this...?"

Awazuki gritted her teeth. "That's what I wish to know." She looked around in panic. "Bring her inside. Quickly."

She opened the door, and looked on as the peasants set Meizuki gently down on the straw mattress. Awazuki immediately kneeled down next to her, wiping her hair off her sweat-covered brow. Her shuddered as she got a better look of Meizuki's blood-covered torso.

Meizuki's face was cold to touch when she attempted to invigorate her by patting her cheek. "Meizuki? Meizuki? Please, you have to wake up."

A feeble moan escaped Meizuki's lips, but she did not stir. Half mad with shock and concern, Awazuki turned furiously towards the villagers.

"Do you have herbs? Clean cloth? Water? Don't just stand there! She needs help!"

The villagers dispersed. Awazuki focused her full attention on her sister once more, her heart pounding in her chest so fast it felt as if it would rip itself right out of her chest.

"Meizuki?" She shook her as hard as she dared when she still wouldn't respond. She couldn't lose Meizuki. She just couldn't.

Finally, Meizuki's eyes fluttered, and she opened her eyes. She turned her head groggily, her gaze dull.

"Awazuki?" she asked, her voice shaky and as weak as a whisper.

Awazuki clasped Meizuki's icy hand. "It's me. I swear it's going to be alright now. Nothing bad is going to happen to you when I'm here."

Meizuki didn't respond, but a weak smile made its way to her face.

Awazuki placed her other hand over the first one. "Meizuki, what happened? Was it the youkai? What kind of a youkai? You have to tell me!"

Meizuki closed her eyes again, and a weary sigh barely stronger than an exhale escaped her lips.

"Meizuki?" A new wave of panic shook Awazuki. "You can't sleep now! Please!"

Meizuki's brow furrowed and she opened her mouth, as if she was strugging to even form words.

Finally, she mumbled: "Wings... giant wings..."

"Wings? Was it a tengu?" Tengu rarely appeared in Reishoumiya; it was usually only the oni who descended from the mountain. Still, they were the first type of winged youkai that immediately sprung to Awazuki's mind. "What happened?"

But Meizuki didn't respond: she had already drifted to the other side of consciousness, into an uneasy slumber. Awazuki quickly reached out to make her heart was still beating, still clasping Meizuki's hand as if letting go of it was the same as letting go of Meizuki's spirit, too.

It was then that one of the villagers returned with a bucketful of water, followed by Grandmother hobbling in with uneasy steps, her face ashen.

"Oh, my poor child..." She fell on her knees next to Awazuki and turned towards the peasant woman. "Fetch clean linens, quickly!"

"They're already being fetched," Awazuki said quietly.

"The more and faster the better. Go!"

The villager left in a hurry.

Grandmother brought her hand to the wound and grimaced. "This is bad," she muttered, more to herself than to Awazuki," She is a strong child, but even I'm not certain she'll be able to overcome these wounds..."

Awazuki's stomach turned.

"This..." She curled her hands into tight fists. "This... whoever did this will pay."

She stood up and dashed to the table where she had left her gohei, then slid the door to the room open with a slam.

"Awazuki!" Grandmother snapped. "You are not going into the woods!"

"If you think I'm just going to sit here while the creature that did this to her is out there, you know me even worse than I thought you did." Awazuki retorted.

"She is dying, Awazuki! If you have a heart, you will remain by her side. You will never forgive yourself if she passes on while you're seeking some futile revenge "

"No. I will never forgive myself if I don't avenge her right now.

"Enough!" Grandmother snapped, with such authority Awazuki was frozen in her tracks. "It's a fool's endeavour, and I refuse to lose both of you!

Awazuki hesitated, but only for a second. She wrenched her sleeve free and with large strides rushed to the entrance.

"I'm taking the orb with me." She exerted her divine powers and beckoned at the Hakurei Yin-Yang Orb, the clan's secret weapon against youkai. The orb rose from its usual place near the entrance and hovered after her as she shed her coat off her shoulders and ran outside.

"Awazuki!"

She ignored her grandmother's cries and the startled looks of the villagers on the courtyard as she ran past them. All she had in mind was finding Awazuki's murderer and slaughtering it.

She slowed down only to pull out a pair of red sashes from her pockets and to tie her sleeves out of the way with them, then all but flew down the steps, into the darkness lit only by the sliver of the moon.


	2. The Saint of the Forest

As soon as Awazuki caught sight of the dark forest, she left the dirt path behind her and stepped into the eastern woods. They were eastern only in name, as they were merely a segment of the enormous forest that surrounded Reishoumiya at three sides.

The river that flowed through the village as well as the forest babbled amidst the trees. As a child, Awazuki had once tried to follow the river all the way to the west to see what was on the other side of the trees. She had only walked for five minutes before her grandmother had become aware of her absence and came to snatch her back, followed by giving her the scolding of a lifetime.

Back then, Awazuki had had no concept of the danger of the forest. At the moment, she felt it more acutely than ever, but paid it no more heed than she had when five summers old.

After a few tentative steps for re-accustoming herself to the forest terrain, she continued her mad dash, avoiding some of the trees only by a hair's breadth. She had run all the way so far, and would continue all the way to the moon if necessary. She only had one goal, burned into her thoughts with a red hot iron: vengeance.

The outskirts of the forest were barren, with no undergrowth to shield the naked tree trunks. A few night birds whistled their tunes, but apart from them and the sound of rushing water the land was eerily quiet. Awazuki rushed past the periphery and descended down the slope that took her to a small valley and the forest proper.

Despite several calm days in a row, remnants of mist that had more to do with the supernatural residents of the forest than the weather lingered in the valley. Awazuki waded into it with an accustomed step and rushed onwards to the other side of the valley, where the land rose up to form a large hill.

The surface of the valley, with its gnarly roots and sudden holes in the moss hidden underneath the veil of night, just waited for an unfortunate victim to stumble and injure themselves, but Awazuki all but flew across these dangers. She knew this part of the forest like the back of her hand, and nothing there would stand in her way.

 _Nothing here should have stood in Meizuki's way, either..._

Awazuki grimaced.

She slowed down for a moment to plan her next destination. Where to go? She could barely see her own feet in this darkness, let alone any signs of where Meizuki had been. No matter how she squinted, the waxing moon and the freshly awoken stars simply weren't enough for her to make out anything but black, indistinct shapes around her. All she had to go with was her gut instinct.

Just as she was about to speed up again, she heard a low snarl not far from her. She tensed, and beckoned the Hakurei Yin-Yang Orb to her side. That done, she focused all her attention to her ears. Something was definitely there, breathing shallowly behind one of the trees.

She approached gingerly, but despite her caution she stepped on a dry twig, snapping it in half with a loud crack. The sound of breathing disappeared.

Before Awazuki could decide on her next course of action, an ear-piercing shriek deafened her, and the world went completely dark as something pounced upon Awazuki from the shadows, pinning her to the ground and scratching at her face, clawing for her eyes.

Awazuki clenched her teeth together, and without even bothering to shield her eyes, began her counter-attack. Focusing her thoughts on the Hakurei Yin-Yang Orb, she steered it to the left and allowed it to absorb more of her power. Then, she launched it full strength into the youkai's ribs.

There was a crunchy, sickening noise, and the youkai fell off her with a cry. As Awazuki scrambled on her feet she got her first look at her adversary: some kind of a rat youkai, with the shape of the human but covered from top to toe in the matted grey fur of a beast. It snarled, revealing the full length of its yellowed fangs, and weakly readied its knife-like claws for another assault.

Awazuki ignored the blood trickling down from the fresh wounds on her face and grasped the youkai, lifting it off its feet and smashing it against a nearby tree. Before the youkai could mount a counter-attack, Awazuki clasped her hand on its neck, squeezing it like a vice. With the hand holding her gohei, she retrieved an ofuda from the folds of her clothes and smashed it on the youkai's forehead. As the divine light from the ofuda scalded the youkai, she focused her thoughts on the Hakurei Ying-Yang Orb and rammed it against the youkai one final time.

The rat youkai gurgled its last and went limp. Awazuki tossed its corpse aside, ignoring the dark stains on her white shirt.

"Who's next?" She cried out into the darkness ahead, stumbling away from the scene of battle. "Which one of you bastards wants to get what's coming to them next? Come at me!"

Had she been thinking straight, she might have realised the futility of her endeavour: she had strength, and more than that skill and guile, but neither would last far if she chose to take on a forest full of youkai head on. However, in her berserked state she paid no heed to either common sense or self-preservation.

She heard rustling in the under-brush, and with a snarl, extended her hand and sent the orb flying towards the source of the sound. It hit the ground with a loud thud, but when she beckoned it back, it returned with no new stains.

"Cowards! I thought humans were supposed to fear youkai, not the other way around!" She prowled deeper into the under-brush, senses heightened to their limits, narrowing her eyes to see as much as she could. "Where are you, youkai with wings? I'm coming for you, so you might as well show yourself now!"

"The violence you are so intent on will only bring you misery," a quiet, but commanding voice said from her side.

Awazuki turned on her heels, flustered.

A young woman that most certainly hadn't been there when Awazuki had last looked stood in front of a massive oak tree on the slope of the hill. She wore the modest robes of a Buddhist monk, her face a mask of sorrow and controlled pain. She had the most unusual hair Awazuki had ever seen: it was mostly brown, but the hair growing from the top of her head, unless the limited light betrayed Awazuki's eyes, was clearly purple.

Immediately, Awazuki was struck by a feeling of wrongness. As unassuming as the woman looked, she had a presence that would give pause even to the most reckless. Something about her, something Awazuki couldn't put her finger on, spoke of both great wisdom and great power.

 _Youkai,_ Awazuki's instincts screamed, _she has to be a youkai._

"Who are you?" she asked brusquely, glaring at the youkai.

The youkai pursed her lips, then briefly bowed her head. "My name is Byakuren Hijiri. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

"None of your business, Hijiri." Awazuki spat, pronouncing the name like a curse. Hijiri frowned, but Awazuki paid it no mind. All she cared was figuring out whether Hijiri was the youkai who had attacked her sister. She had never been good at gauging her opponent's strength beforehand, but Hijiri was oozing with power, no doubt about it. "Did you hide your wings or what?"

"I do not know what you are talking about."

"Cut the crap. I know you're a youkai. Where are your wings?"

"I do not have those." Hijiri stared intently at Awazuki. "You are an youkai exterminator, then?"

Awazuki snorted. "What does it look like?"

"So, you must be the one who has rampaged through this forest tonight." Hijiri's eyes narrowed. "You must cease immediately, or I shall have to remove you from the woods. By force, if necessary."

Awazuki curled her hands into fists. "Not until I have what I came here for. Just try and stop me!"

For a moment, Hijiri looked sad again. "I dislike violence, but to protect the youkai of these lands," she raised her chin, "I will give you one more opportunity to leave and never return. If you have any sense, you will take it."

Awazuki growled. The youkai had the higher round, and there was no questioning she was powerful. Powerful enough to be Meizuki's slayer, wings or no wings? Awazuki wasn't sure yet, but she was about to find out.

Charging forward, she called for the Hakurei Yin-Yang Orb, sending it flying far above her head, reaching for the moon. With a scream, she ran up the hill and lunged herself at the youkai, holding her gohei forward like a knife. Simultaneously, she removed her attention from the orb, causing it to plummet from the sky and towards the youkai.

Hijiri clicked her tongue. "Pitiful." She waved her arm in a large circle, then held it forward to meet Awazuki's onslaught.

Awazuki found all her momentum gone the second those pale fingers touched her, immobilised in the middle of her strike. She opened her mouth to protest, but no words or insults strong enough came to her.

The Hakurei Yin-Yang Orb continued its dive towards earth. With uncaring eyes, Hijiri held her head up and with another flick of her hand summoned a light breeze which somehow was enough the set the orb of its intended path and slowly floating towards the ground. It landed on the ground with a soft thud and started rolling down the hill with no volition from Awazuki.

Then, the youkai turned her gaze back towards Awazuki. Before Awazuki had a chance to do anything or to even feel fear, she found herself flying backwards, a searing pain spreading from her chest, the taste of metal in her mouth. She landed painfully on her left arm, barely keeping her cries of pain contained.

She attempted to brace her right arm to sit up, but found herself immobilised from the neck down. Cold sweat ran down her forehead.

Awazuki looked up to see her enemy, and stifled a gasp.

The forest was no longer dark. The youkai, now descending the slope down to where Awazuki was crushed down by unseen forces, glowed with a pure, unearthly light, strong enough to illuminate the valley, the thin mist floating around, and above all the severe, determined expression on the youkai's countenance. Her hair was floating upwards despite the lack of wind, and every pore of her being seemed to be emanating sheer power.

Awazuki knew she was dead.

Hijiri stepped right next to Awazuki and raised her hand. The glow around it turned blue, and from the way Hijiri looked at her Awazuki guessed it was a new attack intended to deal the finishing blow on her. For a brief moment, Awazuki entertained the thought of a counter-attack: perhaps she'd be able to take the youkai by surprise with a quick leg sweep, or even a desperate tackle? But no matter how she struggled, her limbs remained useless.

Awazuki glared up at the youkai, battling tears. She would meet her death bravely head on by looking it in the eye; she owed that much to herself. She couldn't do it. Tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"What are you waiting for?" she growled, hoping to overcome her other emotions through wrath. "Just do it already!" Now, that the situation was stretching on beyond her mental pain threshold, and she had gotten a chance to catch her breath, true fear seeped into her veins. Fear not just for her own life, but that of her dear sister; fear that she had failed to avenge her sister, and fear that the youkai wouldn't actually slay her, forcing her to live with her shame unless she took her own life afterwards. "Do it! I wouldn't have hesitated if it had been the full moon and the situation was reversed."

"What difference does the phase of the moon make?"

Awazuki growled, both out of genuine annoyance and as an attempt to hide the quivering in her voice. "My powers are tied to the moon. Who cares? Just kill me already!"

"Very well," the youkai bowed her head. "If you wish for your death so badly, I shall have to grant it to you." The cold anger in Hijiri's eyes gave way to sadness. "Before that, I wish to ask you some questions. What was your goal when entered this forest tonight? Simply to slay youkai by piecemeal?"

"What difference does it make?" Just kill me if you're going to do it!"

"It may not make a difference, but I wish to know. Tell me."

"Fine!" Awazuki spat. "It was for revenge! A youkai killed my sister tonight! I wanted to find the winged bastard that did it and rip them in half! I wanted to rip their guts out and decorate every tree in the forest with them! I wanted to bleed them dry and burn their remains! They killed my sister!"

"Your sister? I saw no human remains in the woods."

The knot in Awazuki's chest tightened. "She came back home, just barely. But her injuries are too much, and there's no way we can save her." She bowed her head. "If only it had been me... if I had been hurt in her stead, she might have been able to do something about it. But she can't save herself..."

The youkai looked thoughtful. "So, she still lives?"

Awazuki looked away. "When I left, yes." Her grandmother's warning rang in her ears. What if Meizuki had died while she was away?

The glow around Hijiri's hand vanished. "In that case, return to your sister. Trying to seek meaningless vengeance will only bring you peril."

Awazuki looked up, barely daring to believe what she just heard. "You mean..."

"Yes, you may go. If I ever catch you harming youkai, however, I will not give you a second chance. Humans bullying youkai is something I cannot tolerate." Her hazel eyes gleamed in the pale moonlight. "If your words were true, your actions tonight can be forgiven. However, by lashing out indiscriminately against all youkai because of the actions of one, you feed into the vicious circle of hate between humans and youkai. Think about your actions the next time, or else I will have to act more harshly for the sake of the local youkai."

"But you're not a local youkai yourself." Awazuki wasn't entirely sure she was right, but she had never heard of any monster like Hijiri living in the area.

"It is true haven't been here for long, but that doesn't mean I do not care for those who live here. All youkai are brothers and sisters."

More than anything, Awazuki wanted to smack the youkai for her sanctimonious spiel, but was still unable to budge. Still, if she had acted upon her instinct, she'd most likely be now dead, unable to avenge her sister. It'd be better to agree with the youkai now and wait for another day, finding another opportunity for vengeance later.

Therefore, she swallowed her pride and nodded. "I understand. I will go. I want to see my sister." For the last sentence, she looked the youkai straight in the eye, summoning up tears to glisten in her eyes. She accomplished it far easier than she had expected, and discovered to her shock that she really wanted to return home more than anything else. She hadn't even gotten a chance to say farewell to Meizuki...

The youkai's stony expression softened just a tad, and Awazuki discovered she could move again. "Go. Take care of your sister. And never raise your hand against youkai again."

Awazuki rose on her wobbly legs, not looking at Hijiri. "Thanks."

"There is one more thing." Hijiri held her palms together, and when she parted them, there was a tiny red orb floating between them. "Take this and place it to your sister's chest. I cannot guarantee that it will work, but with any luck, her life will be saved."

Awazuki hesitated, then grabbed the orb with both hands. It was strangely warm. She clutched it tightly.

She looked at Hijiri with amazement. "Why are you helping me?"

"You acted out of love for your sibling. I cannot begrudge you for that." And for a brief moment, a faint smile appeared on Hijiri's face. "Hurry, now."

Awazuki wasn't sure whether she should thank Hijiri or not, but at that moment, she didn't care. Without further words, she turned around and rushed towards home, the tiny orb clutched firmly in her hands, the Hakurei Yin-Yang Orb following in her wake.

* * *

Awazuki discarded the Hakurei Yin-Yang Orb in the garden and rushed inside without bothering to readjust her garments.

The villagers had left. All that remained was Meizuki and her grandmother, the former lying on fresh blankets, the latter sitting in vigil by the former.

Grandmother turned her head as she heard Awazuki's footsteps. "Finally came to your senses?" She looked her up and down at her disarrayed garments with eyes of disdain.

Awazuki didn't respond. She knelt next to grandmother and took Meizuki's hand. It was stone cold.

"Did you find the youkai?" Grandmother asked, judging by her tone expecting a denial.

Awazuki shook her head. Unless Hijiri had somehow hidden her wings and turned out to be far more diabolical than expected, there had been no trace of the youkai. "I want to... can I have a moment alone with her?" She swallowed, summoning words that didn't come naturally of her. "Please."

Grandmother shook her head, but stood up all the same. "Of course. You too need to say your..." Whatever the end of the sentence was, Awazuki never found out; Grandmother swallowed it and exited the room without another word.

Awazuki leaned over Meizuki. She was still breathing, but only barely. Time was running out.

A tremor of fear ran through Awazuki. What if Hijiri had been lying, and the glowing orb hidden in the pocket of her hakama would only make Meizuki worse? Hijiri had looked sincere when telling her of the cure, but looking sincere while being deceitful was well within the skill of most youkai.

Awazuki shook her head. Either way, she had to try it. She had to. Even if it was nothing but a sliver of hope, it was more of a hope than if she did nothing.

Taking the orb out of her pocket, she placed it gently on Meizuki's chest.

For several torturous heartbeats, nothing happened. Then, the orb sank lower, absorbed by Meizuki's body. The glow vanished.

Then, Meizuki's eyes slammed open. She began to cough violently, so much so that Grandmother rushed back into the room.

"What did you do, Awazuki? What—" She fell silent, staring at Meizuki. Meizuki still looked stricken, but her eyes were wide open, and as her coughing subsided she adopted a calm expression.

"What happened?" Her voice was the same as ever.

"Meizuki..." Awazuki reached for her hand once again. It had regained some of its usual warmth. "How do you feel?"

Meizuki took several deep breaths. "Dizzy."

"You need to rest. And so do you, Awazuki." Grandmother crouched down and placed her wizened hand on Meizuki's forehead. "We thought we had lost you, child."

Awazuki let go of Meizuki's hand and rose to leave. She wasn't needed.

"Goodnight, Meizuki," she whispered. Then, she turned around and retreated into her chamber.

Although she fell asleep almost at once, her slumber was restless, full of dreams with glowing being and amazing powers, all imbued with a sentiment she had never before felt about a youkai.

Envy.


	3. Back-meadow Dealings

Awazuki wiped sweat off her brow.

If she had been allowed to choose, she would have worn nothing but the kind of clothes she and Meizuki had worn as children, simple wraps that left her legs bare. Still, she was technically a noblewoman, and while no-one in the village cared much about propriety, there were some standards that had to be maintained. At least while she stayed at the shrine or went to hunt youkai, she only had to wear one layer on top of her kosode and hakama, but now that she was taking her sister's place in public relations, her grandmother had insisted on the bare minimum of four layers. Awazuki had went with the lightest coats possible, pinks and purples that went well with the red and white of the rest of her outfit, but pretty colours didn't make the extraneous clothes any less unbearably hot. How Meizuki always wore at least five layers like a proper lady and actually got goosebumps with less, she could never understand.

Still, she knew that even if she reeked of sweat, none of the villagers exactly smelled like roses either. Besides, she wasn't interested in getting married anyway, so who cared if she was unattractive as long as she did her job right?

She had heard that elsewhere, daughters of nobles were all but auctioned to the highest bidder as soon as they were technically marriageable. Sometimes she was glad to live in a backwater village with its own customs. Unlike those poor girls in big cities, she was both allowed to leave the shrine and show her face to whomever she damn well pleased, and also to have a say in who she was to marry. She would need to find a husband one day only if Meizuki didn't, and Awazuki had already seen fifteen summers with no proposals and hoped for fifteen more, even if it meant she died without children. Better an old maid than dead in a year giving birth to a child for a man she didn't love.

"Awazuki."

Awazuki turned around on the porch. Half of Meizuki was visible through a chink in the door. She was still hideously pale, but by now she was capable of eating solid food again, and could even sit up for brief moments at a time.

Awazuki smiled, trying to keep her pity off her face. She pushed the door more ajar for a proper glimpse at Meizuki and crouched down to her level. "I thought you were asleep."

"I had to wish you luck, didn't I?"

Awazuki smiled. "It'll be fine. I asked Grandmother how I'm supposed to act at the village. Don't waste your energy worrying about it when you should rest."

Meizuki beamed back. "I'm already feeling a lot better." If anything, the smile made her look more ill.

"All the same, child. You should go back to sleep." Their grandmother had appeared by Awazuki's side without her noticing.

"Of course, Grandmother." Meizuki laid back down and closed her eyes.

"Good child." Grandmother slid the door shut, then turned towards Awazuki. "Come here." She took her by the lapels of her jacket and yanked it straight, not unkindly. "You must look your very best today."

"I know, " Awazuki mumbled, suppressing her frustration as well as she could. Her voice trembled, but she wasn't sure why. They had just gone over how she was supposed to act the previous night, and either way, she knew by heart what were the right things to say. Or at least, she thought she did.

It wasn't supposed to be big deal. All she needed to do was walk down to the village, observe the youkai situation, ask the villagers about recent trouble, smile, leave a favourable impression, and return home. Meizuki had done that every week for two years without a single hitch. Awazuki could do this.

Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

Her grandmother must have read her apprehension from her face, as her severe expression softened just a tad. "Do not fear. In the end, as long as your sister survives, whatever damage your conduct may cause, the Hakurei clan's position will remain secure."

Awazuki looked to the side, doing what she could to hide her expression. "I won't forget that."

She said nothing more as her grandmother finished tinkering with her appearance and hobbled back to the other side of the shrine. Then, with a heavy sigh, she picked up the gohei she had left on the edge of the porch earlier that morning and walked across the courtyard.

* * *

It took her half an hour to reach the outskirts of the village; down the stony steps, still slippery with ice, down the footpath across the meadow, past the crossroads with the jizou statue and down the western path from there. The air was brisk, with non-existent wind, just the way she liked it. Better yet, the long trip gave her time to reflect.

She had barely slept during the past several nights, tossing and turning while trying to comprehend the events of the fateful night. Just who was Hijiri? Where had she come from and why was she lurking in the woods surrounding Reishoumiya? If she wasn't the one responsible for Meizuki's injuries, then who was? Why was every time Awazuki remembered her bitter defeat followed by the memory of Hijiri standing above her god-like, emanating raw power, further followed by a stab of envy?

Her ruminations were interrupted by the sight of small houses clustered nearby, meaning she had reached the heart of Reishoumiya. Not all villagers lived here, but those who didn't were scattered across the area, and it was common custom for people to gather by the houses here should they need any help or guidance from Meizuki that wasn't so urgent as to require a visit to the shrine.

 _This isn't how it's done in the outside world,_ Awazuki thought as she approached. _In all the stories, the villagers come to nobles for aid, not the other way around..._

But this wasn't the outside world, and so she did her best to put on a polite expression. She was doing this for Meizuki, after all.

The closer she got, the more she noticed that something was amiss. Several dozen villagers had clustered by the well, all their backs turned towards Awazuki, their attention fixed to something she couldn't see.

She paused and hesitated. Two young farmers, a man and a woman, emerged from the group, carrying hoes on their backs and walking towards Awazuki, paying no mind to her. As they approached, Awazuki caught their hushed conversation.

"It's awfully convenient timing. That's all I'm saying," the woman said in a low voice.

The man scoffed. "You're always so sceptical."

"Our goddess is injured hunting youkai, and suddenly another youkai hunter shows up? News don't travel that fast."

"It's a coincidence, nothing more."

The woman rolled her eyes. "You're so naive."

"You saw her for yourself. Did she look like the kind of person who would conspire like that? Maybe we should go back so that you can ask her personally exactly why she's here."

"Like she'd give me a straight answer."

"Hey." Awazuki spoke up. The farmers flinched and looked up in surprise. "What's going on here?"

After a moment of stunned silence, the woman turned towards the man. "See, she's not even cooperating with the Hakurei."

"Maybe no-one told her of them yet?"

"I asked you a question," said Awazuki sternly.

The woman bowed. "Sorry, Lady Hakurei. A Buddhist youkai hunter just arrived here. She said she'd stop all youkai attacks in the area for nothing but the simplest of hospitality."

"All youkai attacks?" Awazuki snorted. "Obviously she has no idea what she's getting herself into."

"She claims to be an oni specialist," said the man. He turned towards his partner. "Either way, did you see the way the others listened to her, almost like she was a goddess as well? I suppose it's not that surprising now that Princess Ayame is incapacitated, but even so..."

"Indeed," Awazuki had to smother a flinch at the words 'oni specialist', and then continued the man's line of thought, trying to keep bitterness out of her voice and not fully succeeding. "Of course they would turn towards the next person who showed up for safety. It's not like anyone else will protect them."

The woman gave Awazuki an oddly sympathetic look. "Since you're here in person, Lady Hakurei, perhaps you could talk to her? I'm not sure she's trustworthy."

The man sighed. "Here we go again."

"I will go," Awazuki said quickly before they could continue their argument. It concerns all of Reishoumiya, after all."

The farmers bowed and walked past Awazuki.

Awazuki suppressed a sigh. She wasn't surprised that the villagers all but ignored her when she so paled next to Meizuki, but it still stung. She too had her track record in exterminating youkai and keeping the village safe, after all. Was she really so invisible that the moment Meizuki was incapacitated, the people thought themselves utterly defenceless?

Trying to swallow her bitterness, she marched forward, then lightened her stride to step quietly to the tail end of the crowd, standing on her toes for a better view at what was going on.

Here, finally, she spotted the person the villagers were gathered around. It was a tall woman, with strange hair; light brown turning purple at the tips. She was dressed like a Buddhist nun, and her age was impossible to gauge: she looked young, but the serene expression on her face was that of a far older person.

However, it was not the woman's age that interested Awazuki. It was that she instantly recognised her.

It was the youkai from the woods.

Awazuki found herself speechless and unable to move. The audacity! How dare this youkai prance into the village and pass herself as a human? And how could the people be falling for it?

She looked on, still dazed. Her purpose announced, Hijiri was now speaking to a childless couple with a patient smile on her face.

"We have plenty of room to spare," the wife of the couple babbled excitedly. "We cannot offer any luxuries, but it would be a great honour to be your host."

Hijiri bowed. "A corner on the floor is all I need, and if you can offer me that, I will be most grateful."

The wife clapped her hands together. "Then it's settled! If you would so please, you can come with us right away! We live a short distance from here, and our door is always open to travellers. Isn't that right, dear?"

The husband nodded, with a look on his face like he had just swallowed fermented beans.

Hijiri smiled, and Awazuki could contain herself no longer. She stepped into the crowd, which dispersed around her as soon as they recognised her, leaving a straight line of sight from her to Hijiri.

Hijiri paused, and turned to meet her eyes. Her smile froze on her face.

The wife blinked, and turned to look at what had caught the nun's attention. Before long, all eyes were on Awazuki and Hijiri.

Awazuki began sweating more vigorously than ever, cursing in her mind. She hadn't intended to cause a giant spectacle, but neither could she turn away. It was time to stretch her acting abilities to their very limit.

She couldn't fight the youkai here, not with so many bystanders risking injury, not when it was highly possible she would lose and perish this time around. At the very least, she needed to find some way to remove Hijiri from the village before attacking, so the villagers would have a chance to flee if it came to fatal blows.

As she racked her brain for a sensible thing to say, all she could do was wonder what Hijiri was even doing there? Was she lulling the villagers into a false sense of security? Was she attempting to undermine the position of the Hakurei clan? Both at the same time?

She pulled her face into what she hoped was a mild, polite expression. "Greetings, traveller. I am Hakurei no Awazuki, acting as chief shrine maiden on behalf of my sister." Her eyes burned. "May I ask for your name and purpose for your visit?"

In her defence, Hijiri managed to mask her surprise well. "I am Byakuren Hijiri, an itinerant youkai exterminator. I was travelling nearby when I heard rumours of a village constantly plagued by youkai, and thought to offer my services."

"I see." It was all Awazuki could do to stop herself from sneering. "I suppose those rumours neglected to mention my sister. And myself."

"Oh, not at all. If anything, the rumours spoke highly of your clan" Hijiri's smile was so kind that if Awazuki hadn't known better, she would have thought it genuine. "I would never dare disparage your skills. It simply seems that perhaps, the youkai population has grown to such an untenable size that it may take more than just two exterminators, no matter how excellent, to cull it." She bowed. "I wish to merely offer my services, nothing more. We share a common cause, and so I hope you will accept my humble assistance."

All the villagers turned towards Awazuki.

Awazuki forced a grin on her face. Damn, Hijiri was good. She was going to need to need to stretch her lacklustre charisma to its breaking point in order to pass through this with flying colours.

"Nothing would please me more. Let us work together to ensure the safety of the village."

"Oh, indeed," said Hijiri, sounding very earnest. "I hoped you would agree on that. United we will stand even more capable, and I am looking forward to working in consort with you."

Awazuki's smile began to twitch. "Likewise."

With the tension seemingly evaporating, the crowd dispersed, chatting lowly amongst themselves, leaving only Awazuki and Hijiri standing in place.

Awazuki pinned Hijiri down with her gaze, then nudged her head to the right, towards a nearby meadow. Without waiting for a response, she walked away.

* * *

As she had hoped, Hijiri followed her. They made their way to the meadow. Once there, Hijiri looked around to see no-one was in hearing distance, then raised her eyebrow at Awazuki. "Did you wish to speak with me?"

"You bet I do," Awazuki said quietly. A villager walked down the nearby road, casting a curious glance at the two of them, so she did her best to keep both her face and voice level. "So, a youkai that's a youkai hunter? No camaraderie among your kind, I take it?" She narrowed her eyes. "Funny, though. Based on your actions before, I would have taken you for a stalwart defender of the youkai. Were you simply grumpy about me hunting upon your preying ground, or what is this about?"

Hijiri's look grew more closed. "That... I attacked you because you were wreaking havoc upon innocent youkai. I couldn't remain an onlooker."

"And why would you care, if you're a youkai hunter yourself?" Awazuki grinned without mirth. "Let's cut to the chase. What you said earlier to the villagers was a load of nonsense, wasn't it?"

Hijiri flinched. "I wouldn't say that. I will make certain that no youkai will harm them. That I can promise you."

Awazuki snorted. "That is the Hakurei clan's responsibility already, so no need. So you can take yourself and your lies and go somewhere where they're more willing to swallow a youkai acting as a nun."

Hijiri looked around nervously. "Can we discuss this somewhere further away?"

Awazuki gave her a withering glare. "Don't take me for an idiot. We're staying near witnesses." Hijiri was oddly cowed for someone who possessed such immense power, and Awazuki hoped her bravado would keep it that way.

Hijiri's expression remained mostly unchanged, but her eyes narrowed. "Very well," she said with a sigh. "Can we at least move a little further away from the houses? I'd rather not be overheard."

"As long as we're within eye sight, I can live with it."

They wandered further into the meadow, taking in the flowers of early spring. At length, Hijiri spoke again.

"Is there anything I can swear by that would make you accept what I say as true?"

To her surprise, Awazuki found herself seriously considering it. Hijiri was the enemy, she knew that, but something about her manner and the earnestness of her expressions made Awazuki see her more as a person than she had ever seen a youkai before. No wonder the villagers hadn't spotted her ruse.

"I don't think so," she said eventually. "Youkai always lie."

Hijiri sighed. "I was afraid you'd think so. Even so, let me assure you, I'm not here to harm humans."

Awazuki frowned. "Then what are you here for?"

"I'm here in hopes of finding a way for humans and youkai to co-exist peacefully."

Awazuki couldn't help it: she burst into laughter. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew this left her momentarily defenceless in front of a powerful youkai, but she couldn't help it.

"Of all the bald-faced lies..." she eventually managed, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. Then, she caught a glimpse of Hijiri's expression. It could have been carved from stone. Awazuki hesitated.

"...You're either a brilliant liar, or completely deluded," she concluded, staring at Hijiri with widened eyes.

"If you doubt me, all you have to do is give me a chance to prove myself." A hint of sarcasm shadowed Hijiri's face. "After all, it seems the villagers are rather taken with me, and from what they told me, they don't think much of your abilities. There's always a chance they would side with me should this come to a head."

"Oh, really now?" Awazuki puffed out her chest. "I am Hakurei no Awazuki, of a lineage of renowned and powerful shrine maidens going back ten generations. My sister is regarded as the local deity here, so whatever she says, goes. And she will only have to take one look at you to know you're a youkai. Besides, I can just tell her. She'll believe me. One sentence, and your ruse is over." Immediately afterwards, she felt cold sweat running down her neck. Once again, her pride had gotten the better of her. She just had to hope Hijiri wouldn't call her bluff and inform her that unless the entire village banded together, with Meizuki gone they could do little to stop her.

"Ah." Hijiri paused. Her eyes flitting across the meadow. "How is your sister faring?"

"Better. Much better." Of course, Hijiri was only bringing Meizuki up to remind Awazuki of the fact she owed her, but remembering that still made her hesitate. Even if Hijiri had done it to ingratiate herself to her, wouldn't it have been much easier to kill her off and be rid of both the Hakurei shrine maidens? Perhaps not everything she said was a pack of lies...

"Alright," she continued, meeting Hijiri's eyes. "Maybe I won't rat you out. Turnabout's fair play." Then, the curious envy she had felt since that night made her speak. "Although, there's something else I need to ask from you first."

The corners of Hijiri's mouth twitched. "Of course. Blackmail." She averted her gaze.

"I just said I wanted to ask you something! Don't jump into conclusions!" Awazuki protested.

Hijiri studied Awazuki's expression, then nodded. "Very well. What it is?"

Awazuki fell silent, wondering how to word her request. Hijiri still got on her nerves, if for no other reason than for the bruises still lingering on her knees and for entering on their turfs, but at the same time she was fascinated by her. She was the first youkai she had met that had shown her mercy, or compassion, let alone the staggering amounts of sheer power she had witnessed first-hand. Now, how to ask about all that...

"Actually, it's just one thing." She felt a bubble of enthusiasm in her stomach. "The way you fought...it was..." she grasped for words. "Truth be told, I was awed." Hijiri merely raised her eyebrow at this, so she continued: "How did you do it? Or is it something all youkai of your kind can do?"

Hijiri blinked at her slowly. "Are you talking about...my magic? You must have seen magic before, young shrine maiden."

Awazuki's eyes widened. "That was magic?" Of course, she had seen magic before, but the feats she had witnessed Hijiri perform eclipsed everything she had seen so far. She looked at Hijiri with new eyes. "I've heard of magicians before, but I never expected them to be so..." She hesitated. "Well, astounding."

Hijiri's expression softened. "You're interested in magic?"

"After seeing what I saw earlier, I sure am!" Awazuki replied, unable to hide her enthusiasm any longer.

Hijiri shook her head, but there was a ghost of a smile lingering on her face. "It will do you no good. You should continue your training as a shrine maiden." She sighed. "If that is all, I will now take my leave."

"But—" In her desperation, Awazuki grabbed Hijiri's sleeve. Hijiri turned back towards her, more astonished than angry. "I really need to learn it!"

Hijiri shook her hand free, but gently, and she didn't try to leave again. "And why is that?"

Awazuki swallowed. How could she convince her? "The thing is, I've been trained as a shrine maiden ever since I was five, and my skills have already reached their peak. I can't get better at it, no matter how hard I try, and my sister is already years ahead of me."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but—"

"—And I need to get stronger," Awazuki interrupted, "because there is a youkai out there that nearly killed my sister and there's no way I'm strong enough to take it on as I am now. I need to find a way to defeat it. My sister is bedridden, and there is no-one else to stand up against it if it decides to attack the people here. You understand, right?" She looked Hijiri in the eye. "And it has to be me, because I want revenge for my sister. You understand that, right?"

Hijiri looked bewildered. Awazuki realised she had over-shared again, and prayed Hijiri really was sincere against all odds. "If you're so concerned for the safety of this village, I can remain here until your sister recuperates—"

"No, I have to do it!" Awazuki realized she was yelling and lowered her voice. "I mean," she lowered her voice, but spoke no less urgently, "I have no idea how powerful that youkai is, or even where it came from. And what if there are more of them? What if you leave, and it'll be like when the oni attacked all over again?"

"I...I'm not sure I follow, but..." Hijiri furrowed her brow. She was silent for a long while. When she finally spoke, her voice was as calm as a lake on a windless day. "If I were to teach you magic, how could I be certain you wouldn't use it against me or other youkai besides your target?"

Awazuki immediately placed her hand over her heart. "I swear by my life. And by my sister's life if it makes you feel better."

Hijiri gave her a long, scrutinising look. Awazuki matched her gaze without fear.

Finally, Hijiri sighed. "Perhaps..."

Suddenly, the whole world felt brighter. "You mean it?"

"If you can solemnly swear that you will never use anything I teach you against me or any other youkai beyond the ones who have directly harmed you and your kind, I will consider it."

"Thank you!" Awazuki gasped before she could stop herself. "I mean...you have my sincere thanks," she continued, remembering her manners. "And my word, of course."

"Then it's settled. Now, this powerful youkai you speak of..." Hijiri frowned. "I am yet to gain the confidence of the youkai of this region, so I'm not privy to all their secrets. but none of the ones I've met yet have been powerful enough to match a living goddess. What do you know of them."

"All my sister remembers is large wings. That's it."

"Wings..." Hijiri looked as flummoxed as Awazuki felt. "I will do my best to find them. We can't leave a powerful youkai willing to attack important human leaders unchecked if we're ever to achieve peace."

Awazuki nodded, then grinned. "Alright, that's something we can definitely cooperate on."

Hijiri looked surprised, then smiled back. "Indeed. Shall we meet here again tomorrow, to further discuss these matters?"

"Let's. Around noon?"

"When my kind are at their weakest?" Hijiri's tone was sceptical, but her eyes belied her amusement. "Very well, noon it is. I hope we can find an accord then, Miss Hakurei."

Awazuki couldn't help but notice the lack of 'Lady', but it bothered her less than it usually did. "I hope the same. Hijiri."

To her surprise, Hijiri chuckled. "Very well. Until tomorrow, then."

And just like that, she walked back to the road and towards the village, leaving Awazuki to try and comprehend what had just happened.

Of all the outrageous things, from her making an agreement with a youkai, to her finding herself sort of liking said youkai, one fact stood on the shoulders of everything else: Hijiri had said she'd teach her magic.

The sense of troubled joy stayed with her long after she returned home, through both the day and evening, to the very moment she drifted to sleep.

* * *

 _With special thanks to Gravity Saix._


End file.
